cheers to the furrows//on our brow

[battle_in_bloom]

WHO: Sakura, OPEN
LOCATION: Outside in the snow at the training grounds
WEEK: 72
TIME: Wednesday after class
WHAT: Training outside in the snow is just so much more dramatic than inside where it's warm.
RATING: G! Or PG for Sakura punching shit, idk.

Comments

[starlithysteria]

Rinoa had been working on her Summoning magic inside the Training Grounds Tower and while looking out one of the windows in the tower when she was taking a break, she happened to spot Sakura outside as she cleared the snow. Several minutes later, Rinoa was outside with a thick winter coat on and her Familiar Angelo close behind her. She knew Sakura from the times she'd seen her in Self Defense club, but she'd never really spoken to her much... so Rinoa lingered on the edge of the cleared arena and wondered for a couple moments why she had come all this way

[battle_in_bloom]

Sakura lifted her head in surprise at the sound of a dog barking, looking over her shoulder when she heard the sound of a familiar voice. Upon seeing who it was, she abandoned her current task of staring at the dummy with its stuffing coming out in favour of walking over to Rinoa.

She'd never had all that much contact with the other girl, but Sakura didn't necessarily consider that a bad thing - Rinoa had shown up when the younger girl had been in her third year, still in the middle of her Sasuke obsession. Nobody had needed to get to know that.

Still, things had changed a lot since then. "Hi, Rinoa!" She waved back as she approached. "I wouldn't say that it helps, really. I mean, it's good for getting used to the weather, I suppose, but I'm probably going to catch a cold." She laughed, shaking her head. "I just have a trainer who would probably throw balls of flaming rock at my head if I went inside because of a little snow."

[starlithysteria]

"That's..." From her expression, Rinoa is clearly surprised by the concept of flaming rocks being used as punishment. "...a very strong method of motivation." She paused to glance around nervously. "But, um..." When she looked back at Sakura her eyebrows drew together and her lips pursed briefly as she struggled with what to say next.

Before her awkward silence could drag on for more than a few moments, Rinoa shook her head and leaned it down to cover her eyes with a gloved hand. "Sorry. I didn't come out here to ask about the weather. I don't even know why I asked that anyway. It just kind of came out." She took a deep breath and lifted her head before she spoke again. "If you wouldn't mind I was kind of hoping to join you. Kinda like a private self defense lesson."

[battle_in_bloom]

Had she known what Rinoa was thinking, Sakura wouldn't have hesitated to point out that that hadn't been punishment, that had been encouragement. "My Master has a very strong method of everything" she replied with a laugh, seemingly totally unfazed. She was totally unfazed.

She waiting patiently for Rinoa to say what it was she wanted to, well acquainted as she was with the experience of wanting something and not being able to put it into words. "Believe me, that's nowhere near as bad as some of the things I can come up with when I'm feeling put on the spot," she told the older girl, hopefully reassuring. Her eyes widened slightly at her question, surprised, before the whole expression softened. "I wouldn't mind that at all. Did you just want to try today, or would you rather make it a regular thing? If you just wanted a one off I can give you a general overview, but otherwise I'll start you off a little slower."

[notthatharry]

"You know, if I ever find you meditating under a waterfall, I'm cutting you off from anymore Kung Fu movies."

That helpful commentary was supplied by the young man wrapped in a canvas duster and sitting cross legged on a rock not far from where Sakura was training. Harry had been doing some practicing of his own, if the long staff currently resting against his shoulder was any indication, but upon heading back he'd spotted a familiar flash of pink against the white. Watching Sakura train had seemed like a lot more fun than trying to bog through more homework.

[battle_in_bloom]

"I'm hoping you'd rescue me from drowning myself first," Sakura replied on instinct, knowing who the voice belonged to before she even thought to place it. She paused for a moment, blinked and turned around to face Harry, perched on his rock. "Harry? How long have you been there, exactly?"

[notthatharry]

"Well naturally," he assured her. "Cutting you off wouldn't do much good if you drowned."

Hopping down from the rock, Harry stretched a little to work out a tight muscle in his back, before affecting a sagely and wise persona. "Come now Sakura, you should know I am always with you. I exist in your heart and your memories of me." He then paused and looked down at a non existent watch. "But if you mean literally, about two minutes."

[battle_in_bloom]

Sakura grinned back at her friend. "You do care," she hummed happily, walking over to him. She tilted her head slightly, hands placed carefully behind her back as she observed his stretching.

"Don't be creepy," she chided, teasing. "Need some help with that?" She lifted a gloved hand casually, glowing with a faint green light.

[driftingtides]

The freshly fallen snow crunched under her feet, and Kairi trekked along happily, taking in the scenery. It always felt... just a little bit more magical whenever it snowed, and that scent of frost on the air was very different from the salt water of the sea. Not better, but different, and enjoyable

[battle_in_bloom]

Midway through beating the stuffing out of another dummy, Sakura paused, glancing over her shoulder at the sound of a familiar voice before breaking off and turning fully to face her younger friend. She had seen Kairi since she'd arrived back at Hogwarts, of course - had nearly had her back broken by the girl's exuberant hug, and had restarted their morning training sessions almost immediately. Still, it was nice to see her by chance rather than by design.

She smiled. "Nope! Just going through mine."

[notabride]

Fighting in the snow, it wasn't that unusual of a thing. Not to Mulan, not when she had trained and fought for life and more in weather just like and much harsher than this

[battle_in_bloom]

Sakura eyed the dummy carefully, before eventually deciding that there really wasn't enough left of it to salvage properly. Coughing slightly, guilty, she moved on to the next one and laid into it.

She was caught up in her training, yes, but not so much that she didn't notice someone else entering the training grounds. after all, observation skills were just as important. Still,she didn't want to bother anyone who was making use of the area, so she focussed on the dummy instead for the time being.

[notabride]

As she finished up her stretches, Mulan heard someone cough from near by and glanced in that direction subtly. Taking note of the pink hair, she grinned in recognition. Only one person in Hogwarts had hair that particular shade, at least they did unless a prank had recently occurred. Judging by the bad shape of the dummy blocking the fellow fighter, it was safe to say that it was Sakura

[asolemnchild]

Presea had, despite offers for assistance, opted to explore the confines of the castle and its grounds on her own. She had little need for companionship, and the friendliness...warmth, of the individuals here, made her uneasy.

The cold was better. Outside was better. Less trapped and closed off. Presea did not mind the cold. She barely felt it. She heard the girl long before she saw her, but did not move to intrude, or even alert her to her presence. She merely stood in the snow, quiet and calm, and observed.

She was quite strong, unusually so. Presea found herself looking for the telltale glow of an Exsphere embedded somewhere on her body, and saw nothing.

It was hidden, perhaps. Or odder still, the girl lacked one. Strange.

[battle_in_bloom]

The girl watching her was so quiet in her approach that it took a while for Sakura to realise that anyone was even nearby, let alone that they were watching her. It was only after she paused again to have another sip of water that she noticed the flash of pink - a small smile touching her lips at the similarly coloured hair - before returning to her exercises.

Still, she wasn't completely oblivious, and after whaling on a new practice dummy for a bit it became apparent that the girl wasn't going to come any closer. Being the friendly sort she was, Sakura broke off her practice and snagged a towel from her bag, wiping her face for a moment before wandering over to the girl. "Hi, I'm Sakura," she introduced herself easily, smiling. "You're new here, right?"

[asolemnchild]

Presea was so still and quiet, it at first seemed as if she hadn't registered that Sakura was speaking to her. Eventually though, there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, and she inclined her head slightly in greeting. Her expression, however, stayed as blank as it had been before.

"Yes. My name is Presea." She tilted her gaze away, stared at the snow beneath her feet. It was a long time before she spoke again.

"...My apologies for the intrusion."

[battle_in_bloom]

"It's a nice name," she said, smile encouraging. The long pause worried her a little, but she was used to dealing with such things after years of putting up with Sasuke. "How long have you been here? I only just got back myself, so I'm not completely up with who's arrived and who's left and that sort of thing."

Sakura waved her hand easily, as if wiping away whatever possible problem Presea might have thought was involved in her watching. "Please, don't worry about it. I like having company, anyway."